Source: Livingstondaily.comOn Saturday, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.This important law enacted some of the first comprehensive guidelines to protect animals from extinction, in an effort to protect the rich heritage found in creatures that roam our planet and the ecosystems they depend on to live. We know the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been successful because of the species that have been delisted from protection, including the Columbian white-tailed deer, California condor, bull trout, gray whale and so many others.This nation has a long and proud tradition of respect for our wildlife and natural resources. The strength and vitality of our environment, and thus our own health and well-being, is inextricably linked to the health and well-being of other species.I was proud to be a lead author of this important legislation. Without it, there might not be a single bald eagle or peregrine falcon in our skies. No manatees or cutthroat trout in our waters and no gray wolves or grizzly bears in our forests. This monumental legislation has, quite literally, saved our natural heritage during its 40 years. The ESA has served as the foundation for the protection of thousands of America’s most cherished and ecologically important species.Our country was the first to say that only natural extinction is part of natural order; extinction caused by human neglect and interference is not. Science is at the core of the ESA, and should remain so. Congress determined at that time that when dealing with matters as important as our national environmental policy, nonpartisan action is what we should strive for.Sadly, partisan bickering and political agendas threaten to return us to the times when we were destroying our great natural treasures. I am saddened to report that this cornerstone environmental law is in greater peril now than it has been in its 40-year history. From efforts to defund the agencies that oversee its implementation, to the forces that work to find and exploit loopholes in the law to put industry profits ahead of our planet, defending the ESA will require a diligence the likes of which we have not witnessed before. But we must fight against these challenges, and know these challenges threaten to roll back years of progress. More....

Source: Reddeeradvocate.comBy Renee FrancoeurPreliminary findings from an Alberta Environment study show that the otter population in the West Country is seemingly low and sustainable. Concerns from anglers around Rocky Mountain House over recent years about the health of the sport fisheries sparked a two-year research project into what many thought was a growing otter problem. Fish are alleged to be one of the main items on an otter’s diet list after all. However, since Carrie Nugent, a wildlife biologist with Alberta Environment and based in Drayton Valley, began the hunt for more data collection on the West Country otters in September 2011, she spotted only one otter. “We saw one otter . . . It was around Nordegg and for the amount of time spent in the field, that is a really low number. I was just as surprised as anyone about that,” Nugent said. “We looked for tracks, scats and just found not a lot of signs. “So at this point I would say the otter population is at a really low density as it was difficult to detect them, despite targeting areas where we thought they would be most active.” Without some sort of sample size, it’s impossible to create a population estimate, she added. While it is known there are otters living at Cow Lake, Nugent focused on streams to find out more about the river creatures and the fisheries. Her team researched at least 20 different streams, honing in on about 1-km sections where “prey availability” would also be escalated due to high fish density. She also spent a large amount of time at Prairie Creek during the brown trout spawning season (October and November). “This was an area that many anglers were specifically concerned about and if there was an otter effect, we were going to detect it over spawning or wintering,” Nugent said. “I walked that area every week for six weeks throughout the season and didn’t find a single track, scat, no sign of an otter there.” More....

Source: Newsleader.comBy Laura PetersJeremy Keegan respects the deer, turkey and squirrels he hunts and the land he hunts them on.The Timberville man believes in following the rules, but, he also knows that not everyone agrees.“People that I know and respect ... all share a respect for the animals that we hunt and the environment that we hunt in,” he said. “We understand that not only is it benefiting us, but it’s benefiting Virginia and Virginia wildlife, and that we’re helping control the populations and we are following the regulations in order to protect the animals and the environment.“I’m not willing to go outside the boundaries of the law to feed my family, and some people are,” Keegan said. “I also think that some people don’t care that much about the laws.”And that’s why poaching is an increasing problem that is robbing hunters of legitimate prey, circumventing state efforts to manage wildlife and too often scarring the countryside with the carcases of illegally killed animals.Virginia Conservation Police Offier Chance Bobbs said the number of calls his agency has been getting from the public about poachers has been steadily increasing.Driving down back roads in Augusta County, many motorists can see what poachers have left behind. The mangled remnants of deer, sometimes in bags, but often simply dumped in the open.Calls spike in November, but really are heavy throughout the fall and early winter. Arrests also are tough to predict.“It really fluctuates every year,” he said. “It all depends how good the information is. If we go out on our own and things happen in front of us, we catch them all. But, if we get little bits of information, we don’t always get enough evidence to charge somebody.”Bobbs said it’s helpful for people to call in and give as much information as possible. But, a lot of people fear retaliation. Bobbs said there is an anonymous tip line.But aside from investigating a report of someone actively poaching, the police work too often starts with a carcass and it’s up to him to back track from there to find the poacher. More....

Source: MTstandard.comBy Kelley ChristensenA Dillon couple and 15 of their friends and relatives have been charged with poaching crimes after a sweeping investigation revealed they illegally harvested dozens of animals over the past decade.Charles “Bill” Foster and his wife, Sally, will make their initial appearance Thursday in Dillon district court. Authorities say they poached more than 20 deer and elk over the course of four hunting seasons and possessed more than 65 game fish over the limit.The charges cap a year-long undercover investigation into the couple and their friends that combed evidence stretching back to 2003. Wildlife officials say the Fosters routinely harvested more than their hunting tags allowed, or allowed out-of-state visitors to shoot deer using their tags.“Given the volume of game animals and fish unlawfully taken, this is a fairly serious matter,” said Jim Kropp, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks top law enforcement official.The Fosters could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and their lawyer, David Vicevich of Butte, declined to comment.Bill Foster is charged with six counts of felony possession of game animals, one count of felony tampering with evidence, three counts of misdemeanor unlawful possession of game animals, and one count of misdemeanor unlawful possession of game fish.Sally Foster is charged with six counts of felony possession of game animals, three counts of misdemeanor unlawful possession of game animals, one count of misdemeanor unlawful possession of game fish, and one count of misdemeanor fishing without a license.The Fosters possessed 23 illegally harvested deer and elk since 2007, wildlife officials said, and are charged with other misdemeanors for deer poached before 2007.The couple could face jail time, fines and a loss of hunting privileges. Kropp said Montana is one of the few states that will send people to prison for poaching, and that the state takes poaching seriously.“In Montana there’s a lot of public resources,” Kropp said. “It’s a destination station for people who want to hunt.” More....

Source: IsleOfMan.comThe Manx public is being asked to help protect stocks of salmon and sea trout in the Island's rivers.This year's river fishing season ended on 31 October and taking fish is now illegal.The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture says anyone caught handling, buying or selling illegally-caught fish will face prosecution.If you spot any suspicious activity on the Island's rivers you should report it to the Fisheries department at DEFA or to any police station. Suspected poachers should not be tackled by members of the public.Freshwater Fisheries Supervisor Robbie Moore says poaching won't be tolerated as it can severely damage stocks.He says it cannot be seen as an innocent rural pursuit.

Source: Telegraph.co.ukBy Claire CarterAn angler who bragged on film about poaching and then posted the film on YouTube is the first person to be prosecuted by the Environment Agency based on evidence from social media. An angler who filmed himself catching a fish and posted the clip on YouTube ended up being fined for poaching. Benjamin Cook, 31, bragged on the video clip that 'this is how you poach salmon' - even though it was a sea trout - and was filmed removing it from a poaching net. He was caught after a fisheries officer spotted the clip online and recognised Cook from a previous poaching case, and has become the first time the Environment Agency has brought a case based on social media evidence. Cook was prosecuted for using an unlicensed net to catch salmon and sea trout in contravention of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. He filmed himself fishing on the River Sherford in Dorset in the summer of 2009 and the clip, called ‘Poachin in Poole’ was uploaded to YouTube by a friend on January 8, 2010. It has had more than 700 views. On the clip Cook is seen picking fish from the large poaching net and is heard saying: "Basically boys, this is how you poach salmon. What do I know, I've only been doing it since I was a boy. "We loves our poaching net. It's in the blood - like a drug addiction. Once you've got it you've got it for life." Two more fish he illegally caught can be seen on the bank in the video, and the fish were worth around £120. More....

Source: Ecolur.orgBy Arthur HovhannisyanAs Bardukh Gabrielyan, Dr. in Biological Sciences, Director of Zoology and Hydroecology Center of NAS RA, assures it’s too early to speak about the availability of industrial reserves of the trout in Lake Sevan or to take this species out of the Red Book. Bardukh Gabrielyan said, “Unfortunately, the self-recovery of the trout reserves doesn’t take place, i.e. their natural reproduction is in poor condition. The first reason is naturally fish poaching.” The other reason is the poor condition of the rivers, which are spawning sites, as the most river are currently either polluted or the water intake exceeds the permissible standards, as some SHPPs don’t follow the standards they have to.

Source: Ecolur.orgArmenia is a country with few water resources. We have over 70 water reservoirs and a powerful pumping station, which doesn’t operate. Our water resources are undermines quantitatively. This is the situation of the water resources in Armenia as assessed by Qnarik Hovhannisyan at the public discussion of “Problems of Lake Sevan and Probable Ways of Their Development”. It should be mentioned that the artificial water reservoirs contain up to 1 billion m3 freshwater. While Lake Sevan, is a natural water resource, and contains 35 billion m3 freshwater, which ensures the country safety. The conservation of Lake Sevan is a strategic issue, as it also ensures food security. Nevertheless, the industrial reserves in Lake Sevan have already disappeared. Thus, the whitefish reserves have reduced 5000 times in the duration of recent 20 years and now, under the data of the Institute of Hydroecology of NAS RA, it makes up only 6.5-8 tons. What about the endemic fish species of Lake Sevan, the trout, the fish can’t spawn under natural conditions because of the SHPPs constructed on the rivers flowing into Lake Sevan, so the trout populations is recovered in artificial way through letting out artificially grown young fish into the lake. “If trout young fish isn’t let out into the lake, it will disappear, as its spawning sites are inaccessible for the fish,” said Susanna Hakobyan, Head of Department of Hydrobiology of Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology of NAS RA. The main reason for the reduction of fish reserves remains fish poaching. This is how “Sevan” National Park Deputy Director Vahe Gulanyan commented the situation, “Since 2005 the fishing of the whitefish is banned, nevertheless, it’s physically impossible to control it irregardless of the legislative field.” More....

At recent grizzly bear meetings in Bozeman, federal and state managers announced plans to remove Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone’s threatened grizzly bears next year. The delisting push, which is being driven by states that want to control and hunt bears, is justified in part by new government claims that grizzly population numbers have jumped from an estimated 600 during past three years to 741 bears. For many reasons, however, it’s far too soon to conclude that Yellowstone’s charismatic bear population is viable enough to again allow hunting. Chief among those concerns are: serious questions about the science behind the new estimates of bear numbers; increased threats to bears, including the fact that climate-driven changes to their food sources are resulting in more conflicts with humans; and the fact that Yellowstone is an isolated remnant of the area grizzly bears once roamed. There’s no doubt that a nearly 20 percent jump in bear numbers sounds impressive. But this jump is not based on an actual count of bears – it’s based on a revision of the methods used to estimate the population. And independent scientists can’t fairly evaluate the claim because the government has steadfastly refused to release the taxpayer-funded data upon which the new population numbers are based. Because grizzlies have the slowest reproductive rate of any mammal in North America, it is not biologically possible that the population has increased so much, especially given the deaths of more than 100 bears during the last three years. In other words, the jump is largely an artifact of changes in counting methods – paper bears rather than real bears. This is why an open and transparent process of scientific inquiry is so important. The integrity of the scientific enterprise relies on creating and testing alternative hypotheses to explain the data. It is essential to know with great confidence how the population is actually doing, and what the future trends are most likely to be, in order for the public to make an informed decision on whether removing federal protections is appropriate. As James Madison said in 1822, “a popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is a prelude to a farce or a tragedy or both.” While there is doubt about the numbers, from a bear’s point of view there is no doubt about what is happening to the ecosystem: it is unraveling. Three of the four traditional mainstays of the grizzly bear’s diet – whitebark pine, cutthroat trout and elk – have either collapsed or are in decline. And drought and climate change are likely to worsen the bear’s future prospects. More....

Source: Eng.24.kgBy Anastasia BengardThe production of fish has reduced in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation informed. According to its data, for 9 months of 2013 economic entities produced 225.7 tones of slaughter fish, that is 71.3 tones less compared to the previous year. The rates reduction is connected with the fact that people stopped farming rainbow trout in Issyk-Kul province. An amount of juvenile fish put into reservoirs has reduced almost two times. It is connected with limit of budget means, the lack of necessary material and technical base etc. Earlier on it was stated that in general about 300 tones of fish is produced in Kyrgyzstan with nominal demand of 13,000 tones. More than 12,000 tones of fish are imported from abroad. It was noted that the Fish Industry Department is working on prevention of poaching. At least 42 raids were carried out, 32 protocols and acts were drawn up and more than 2,100 poaching nets with the total length of 202,500 meters were removed from the water ponds for the reported period. About 1,000 fishes were confiscated from poachers. At least 8 criminal cases were sent to law enforcement agencies.

Source: BBC.co.ukIsle of Man hoteliers and restaurateurs are being warned of heavy penalties if they are caught buying illegally-caught salmon or trout. The environment department said anyone caught poaching, buying or selling river fish out of season will face prosecution. The season ended on 31 October and is not due to resume until next Spring. Minister Phil Gawne said poaching and its associated trade will be stamped out. He added: "Any type of illegal fishing activity will reduce the number of these valuable fish available for successful spawning, which means fewer eggs to continue future generations of Manx salmon and trout." A government spokesman said any suspicious activity should be reported to the Fisheries Directorate or the police.

Source: Biologicaldiversity.orgPress ReleaseBrushing aside mounting evidence that Yellowstone’s grizzly bears face increased threats from genetic isolation, loss of key foods, and increased human conflicts and mortalities, federal and state officials are recommending removal of Endangered Species Act protections for the bears as early as next year.At the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee meetings in Bozeman today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s grizzly bear recovery coordinator Chris Servheen fell short of setting a timeline for removing federal protections for Yellowstone’s threatened grizzly bears. But citing unpublished studies and unreleased data, Servheen and federal scientists said the grizzly population is robust and healthy. The states argued they are ready to take over management of the bears, which, like wolves, would be aggressively hunted under state plans. The agencies’ recommendation to delist grizzly bears was conditioned upon release of a final scientific report, due at the end of November. “This highly political, fast-tracked plan to drop federal protections for grizzly bears plays Russian roulette with a population that is still imperiled and facing significant new threats,” said Louisa Willcox, a grizzly bear conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “With the loss of important foods, the world of the Yellowstone grizzly is unraveling. Now is not the time to turn over the keys to management to states that are known to be hostile to large carnivores and plan to renew a grizzly bear hunt.” Removal of protections for bears is being justified by purported increases in the bear population that are based on models showing the population number is now 741 bears, up from previous estimates, announced earlier this year, of roughly 600 bears. But the Fish and Wildlife Service and federal scientists have repeatedly refused to release the data that supposedly shows there are more bears. “There’s no way to know if these are paper bears or real bears, because the government has refused to release the taxpayer-funded data and analyses upon which its findings were based,” said Willcox. A study published earlier this year by leading scientists questions the accuracy of the Service’s optimistic bear trends. The study offers evidence that the agency’s estimates of the population size and trend are likely inflated due to data-collection biases and inaccuracies, including the incorrect assumption that female grizzlies reproduce at maximum rate until the age of 25 to 30. More....

Source: Baxterbulletin.comI am sitting here writing this at 3 a.m. I can’t sleep until I get this story down.Last week, I guided a couple of anglers that were part of a corporate group that I work with several times a year near the confluence of Dry Run Creek and the North Fork River. We looked up the creek and noticed two anglers fishing on the lower section.Dry Run Creek is a catch-and-release section that has been set aside for children under 16 years of age and the handicapped. From our vantage point, the anglers appeared to be well over 16 and to get into the rugged section they were fishing in, they could not be handicapped.Like most fly fishing guides, I am very protective of our catch-and-release waters, and if anything, I am overly protective of Dry Run Creek. This is the gem of our trout waters. The place is teeming with huge trout and it is the perfect place to introduce your children or grandchildren to trout fishing. I have been guiding on it for around 25 years.I began taking my daughter, Katherine, there, when she was 12. We spent many days there during her childhood and one of our most cherished memories is when she landed a 27-inch rainbow on a frigid winter day on our last trip there.Years later we returned with her children. She wanted them to experience the thrill that she had on the creek. It all came home, when her son, John, landed a 21-inch brown trout, when he was 5 years old.This is also the place where we took a group of Wounded Warriors and a group of cancer survivors from Casting for Recovery (both with the written permission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission). More....

Source: Blogs.scientificamerican.comBy John R. PlattIt cost a little bit more to protect endangered species in 2012 than it did in 2011. If you’re a regular Extinction Countdown reader, that probably doesn’t surprise you. For one thing, everything seemed to cost more last year. But more importantly, the threats that endangered species faced in 2012 were worse than ever. The costs of those threats add up. Let’s get to those numbers. The U.S. federal and state governments spent just more than $1.7 billion to conserve endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in fiscal year (FY) 2012 (from October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012), according to an accounting recently published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). That’s up from $1.59 billion in FY 2011 and $1.45 billion in FY 2010. Last year’s expenses included about $307 million to acquire conservation-critical habitats. The remaining outlay went to activities such as research, law enforcement, population censuses, transplanting animals or plants and any other activities performed by the federal or state governments “on behalf of threatened or endangered species” listed under the ESA. The vast majority of the spending came on the federal level; only $85.3 million came from the states. State spending, however, was up from $58.4 million in FY 2011. (Many states have their own endangered species laws and lists, expenses for which would not necessarily be counted in this report.) A handful of gilled species received the lion’s share of ESA expenditures last year. Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are protected in 11 separate managed populations, received funding of more than $263 million. (The ESA has options to protect endangered species subspecies as a whole or as distinct population units for a given species.) Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) weren’t far behind that, at $240.7 million. That species is protected under nine separate populations. More....

An Angus man has denied charges of poaching salmon from waters near Arbroath. Thomas Mark Yule, 41, of David’s Hill in St Vigeans, is alleged to have breached the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 on June 7 by committing a number of fishing offences at Elliot Sands.It is alleged on June 7, Yule was found in possession of salmon or trout, or an instrument, which would be used in the taking of salmon or trout, contrary to the 2003 Act.He is also charged with fishing or taking salmon at Elliot Sands in Arbroath by ways other than rod and line as well as using a monofilament net and fishing/taking the salmon from waters within the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board’s boundaries without permission.A defence agent at Arbroath Sheriff Court said they had been in discussions with the Crown and wanted further time to prepare for the trial.She said the defence was now looking at the title of the land and the fishing rights.She said: “There was public right to fish for salmon on certain parts.”The court heard the case may well resolve before the trial, which is set for November 6.Sheriff Peter Paterson fixed a further intermediate diet for next Tuesday to see where matters stand.

As a fisher and conservationist, I was appalled to hear the judge's ruling in the Francis Archibald Hannigan case. The precedent has now been set that getting “carried away" is a viable excuse to break the law and the fact that the man is of low income makes it acceptable to act as he sees fit with a reduced penalty to avoid causing him undue hardship. This man claims to be an avid fisherman who looks forward to his fishing trips. There isn't going to be any fish if people like him aren't held accountable for their actions. This ruling is a slap in the face to the true fishers of the world who support and abide by the rules so we may all continue to enjoy a sport we love. With a measly $400 fine and apparently no restriction or suspension from fishing, we are letting this guy back on our rivers to continue reaping, and sending a message to everyone else that if the fish are biting and you're having fun, the law doesn't matter. I can't help but wonder how far a defence of getting “carried away" would go in a murder or rape case. What if people were to get “carried away" at the bank or in a traffic jam? I sincerely hope the Crown will pursue an appeal, if not for the sake of the murdered trout, then for the purpose of reiterating the consequences of breaking the law.

House Bill 1576, also known as the Endangered Species Coordination Act, if passed, would standardize the process that the Fish and Boat and the Game Commissions use to designate species as threatened or endangered in the Commonwealth. It would also call for a change in the process of designating waters as wild trout streams. This bill, supported by different building industries in the state, is also bringing up concerns by the two commissions who are worried that this could put already threatened and endangered species in more danger. State Representative Jeff Pyle, who represents the 60th Legislative District, is the sponsor for the bill. “I found a lot of inconsistencies in how the Fish and Boat and Game commissions were handling threatened species in the Commonwealth,” Pyle said. “All of my life I have lived a couple of miles from the Allegheny River, and I am used to seeing barges moving up and down that river. When they closed the locks, I started digging into it,” Pyle said. “Pool six had an 80 year supply of gravel and sand,” Pyle continued. “It was a good job to support your family, working the dredge boats. When they discovered endangered river mussels, it shut the whole thing down. A power plant was also shut down, which meant no more coal either. For the sake of some river mussels that no one has actually ever seen, giving up jobs is unbelievable. That is what got me going.” Pyle noted that it seems “irregular” that the importance of some species seems to outweigh humans. “I think that is a big over reach of government. Why are we putting anything in the way of people working,” Pyle said. More....

Four men from La Poile have been charged in connection with a poaching operation that took place back in June.

Officers with the Port aux Basques office of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans used years of anonymous complaints and increased patrol of the area to conduct the operation. After finding nets that used a pulley system, officers set up a 48-hour surveillance which led to the apprehension of four individuals and the seizure of four illegal nets, an 18-foot boat with motor, 11 salmon and one trout. Two of the four charged were in Port aux Basques court on Oct. 9 both charged with two counts of breach of act and/or regulations. A third man charged with the same two counts did not appear and was re-summoned. The fourth man charged with only one count of breach of act and/or regulations had the matter heard but was away working at the time of court. All four men had the matter set over to Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. to allow time to review the disclosures on the case.

Federal, state, and tribal officials have agreed to an ambitious program of cooperation to fight fish poaching on Mendocino County's scenic Garcia River, Rep. Jared Huffman announced last week. “This is a really great outcome ... What we needed was better coordination and understanding about how the state, federal, local and tribal authorities were going to be working together,” said Huffman, D-San Rafael, whose district includes Mendocino County.The key to the deal is an agreement to work with outside law enforcement by the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo, who control two key pieces of land along the river bank. The tribe denies that members are major players in poaching endangered coho salmon and steelhead trout on the river, but they admit that the tribal land has created jurisdictional confusion for game wardens and police, and that the tribe and local law enforcement don't have a history of cooperating.“There hasn't always been this trust that way,” tribal Chairman Nelson Pinola said. “For me this is pretty historic, because we've never done anything like this before.”The Garcia River has been a major focus of conservationists in recent decades. Private groups and governments have spent at least $25 million to preserve former timberlands and restore the habitat for fish and other creatures, damaged by a century of logging, farming, and other development. More....

Minister of Agriculture , Forestry and Water Management Ljupco Dimovski today in Ohrid attended the stocking of the lake with the offspring of endemic Ohrid trout . In the lake waters were omitted hundred thousand trout offspring from this year’s spawning, nine months from fertilization of the roe and six months of age , with an average weight of 2 and 2.5 grams and length between six and eight millimeters . - This is a regular activity according to the Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture , in which the state is responsible for stockingbased on fishing grounds prepared by competent authorities . In that process of stocking since 2006 the lake was stocked with about 14 million units for what were invested funds in the amount of about 35 million denars, Dimovski said . For this , he explained that provided are approximately 2.1 million units Ohrid trout , the activity will be completed by the end of the next month . In order to better protect the fish fund , this year was chosen concessionaire , who in addition of rights has additional responsibilities. - The obligation of the concessionaire is to take care of the lake , fish fund , especially about the number and age of the fish . The state has the obligation , in cooperation with institutions authorized by artificial spawning to make stocking on Macedonian side of the lake, Minister Dimovski said. More....

After fighting off legal challenges for a decade, California wildlife officials are ready to try to save a threatened fish in the high Sierra the only way they know how — by poisoning its creek.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists plan to begin dumping poison in an 11-mile stretch of the Silver King Creek south of Lake Tahoe on Wednesday as part of a long-term plan to rebuild populations of the native Paiute cutthroat trout.The agency says it can't begin to restore the native fish protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1967 until they kill off invasive trout that are eating its young in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The creek would eventually be restocked with Paiute cutthroat trout."We're very excited," said Ted Koch, Nevada supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."It's not often we are able to put ourselves in a position of being within arm's reach of recovering and delisting a species, but that's where we are today," he told the Reno Gazette Journal (http://tinyurl.com/l746f8b). "We have every confidence this will go well."The action comes after a federal judge last May cleared the way for the government to proceed, closing the chapter on the last of three legal challenges filed by the project's critics over the years. In 2005, biologists were already hiking into the wilderness to conduct poisoning operation when a judge ordered them to turn around.Laurel Ames of the Friends of Silver Creek said it doesn't make sense to kill all the fish in order to save them but it's time to move on. More....

For 42 years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has had sole discretion in state government to determine when mammals and birds that live or roam in Pennsylvania's wilds are endangered or threatened. For nearly the same amount of time, the state Fish and Boat Commission has done the environmental policing for the fish, reptiles and amphibians.

In the eyes of Peter Saenger, curator of the bird museum at Muhlenberg College's Acopian Center for Ornithology, those state agencies deserve praise for saving scores of species from following the passenger pigeon into extinction. "Not all government agencies are worth their weight in salt," said Saenger, also president of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. "[But\ they have done an outstanding job of protecting our resources."But in the eyes of state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Armstrong, and state Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, the commissions have become too secretive.

Pyle and Scarnati have introduced bills to give the Legislature more oversight over when, where and how species and waterways are given protective status. The lawmakers complain the commissions keep the science behind their decisions locked away from public review in an effort to protect the locations of endangered species or waterways — with no regard to the impact that secrecy has on industry, jobs and homeowners. "We want to ensure anyone who has an interest in a property can be able to ascertain what species are being protected and what aren't," said Drew Crompton, Scarnati's chief of staff.But John Arwary, executive director of the Fish and Boat Commission, said the bills would strip the agency of its authority and weaken environmental protection, while creating a prolonged regulatory process that could potentially cost the state millions in federal funds. More....

An Angus man is to stand trial accused of poaching salmon from waters near Arbroath. Thomas Mark Yule, 41, of David’s Hill, St Vigeans, is alleged to have breached the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 on June 7 by committing a number of offences at Elliot Sands, Arbroath.It is alleged that on June 7 Yule was found in possession of salmon or trout, or an instrument, explosive, poison or noxious substance which would be used in the taking of salmon or trout, contrary to the 2003 Act. He is also charged with fishing or taking salmon at Elliot Sands in Arbroath by ways other than rod and line, net and coble or cruive, as well as using a monofilament net and fishing/taking the salmon from waters within the Tay District Salmon Fishery Board’s boundaries without permission.Yule was detained after a joint operation between the police and water bailiffs employed by Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board.Yule did not appear in the dock at Arbroath Sheriff Court when his case was called on Tuesday.Solicitor Lynn Sturrock confirmed a not-guilty plea and court dates were fixed.Trial was set for November 6 with an intermediate diet on October 22.

Thomas Yule, coxswain of the Arbroath RNLI lifeboat, faces four charges relating to alleged poaching at Arbroath's Elliot Sands. On Tuesday, Arbroath Sheriff Court heard Yule, from St Vigean's, near Arbroath, is accused of fishing without permission using outlawed nets. He was allegedly caught by police officers and water bailiffs, who worked together under the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board. Officers claimed they found a quantity of fish, believed to be salmon, after a vehicle was searched. Yule has been the coxswain of Arbroath's lifeboat for almost ten years. He first volunteered with the crew aged 17, and became coxswain in 2004. The 41-year-old was charged with breaching the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003, in relation to four offences. It is alleged he was in possession of salmon or trout, or an instrument, explosive poison or noxious substance that could be used in the taking of those fish. He was also charged with fishing or taking salmon by means other than rod or line, net and cable or cruive and using a monofilament gill net. The final charge was fishing or taking the salmon from waters within the Tay District Salmon Board's boundaries without permission. All the charges related to activity in Arbroath's West Links on June 7. More....

If we do come across poachers, then for your own safety, you will have to take a firm back seat, stay right back and leave us to it,” says one of my guides for the evening, Environment Agency officer Paul Newman.

Since Paul, 44, and his colleague Cormac Meenehan, 35, are wearing body armour, carrying batons, and have the power to arrest, this arrangement seems a sensible one. Evidently, patrolling Hampshire’s rivers is a serious business. It is also big business. A recent report from The Test and Itchen Association put the value to the local economy of returning salmon stock at somewhere around £3.7m. In 2011 there were estimated to be 1,677 salmon in the Itchen and the Test, giving each fish a value to the economy of more than £2,000. “Wild salmon and sea trout will fetch about £10 a lb on the black market,” Paul explains quietly as we work our way along a section of the River Wallington. The fish may fetch an attractive price, but penalties can be severe and poaching salmon or sea trout can carry a fine of up to £50,000. The agency says that some rivers in Hampshire are considered to have “marginal and unsustainable salmon and sea trout populations”, and illegal fishing threatens their long-term survival. More....